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January 24, 2007

By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com

Slow Down music programs

Slowing down music while still keeping the pitch has become a common tool for musicians these days. Software to slow down music can be real handy, not only for a guitar player but for piano and horn players too, of course.

I have tried a few of these, and although I don't use them that often, they do have their use when trying to pick out really fast lines. I have a pretty good ear, but sometimes my ears aren't fast enough to hear all the notes of a cool bebop line, or a fast blues lick. Using a slow down program can save you a lot of frustration and time.

Here are some of the slow downer tools I have tried:

Plug-ins for WinAmp

• Chronotron II - free, very nice and simple. Even at 50% speed, it sounds really clear. The version 3 is commercial and I don't know if version 2 is still available. I've had it on my computer for years. Sound quality wise - this is my favorite.
• PaceMaker - this one is cool - even lets you remove vocals. Can also change the speed, meaning that the pitch will change, like speeding up an LP player. When you start it, it reminds you to register if you haven't.
• Slow Me Down is a very simple tool as well - lets you slow down the tempo, or change the pitch. It is also free. Sounds better than PaceMaker to my ears. Can also play back in mono.

Software

What seems to be the most well known software for slowing down music is The Amazing Slow Downer - a commercial product that many people seem to like. I have tried it, and it worked great. It has many more features than the plug-ins I've mentioned. Well worth the cost if you do a lot of transcribing of fast players.

One of the best is perhaps the program Song Surgeon. You can try a demo on their site.

Do you know any others worth mentioning? I am sure there are a lot of other good tools for the purpose of slowing down music. Let me know!

By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com

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